A complete DnD 2024 Druid class guide

Boy, does the DnD 2024 Druid look different in the new Player’s Handbook. Dungeons and Dragons’ nature-loving class can now hit and heal harder than before, and new Wild Shape rules make it significantly more approachable. This guide explains the new One DnD Druid rules, as well as how this version differs from its 2014 predecessor.

When compared with other DnD classes, the Druid 5e was a bit of a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ option, with a handful of particularly powerful Druid 5e subclasses. Its core identity hasn’t changed too much, but a number of tweaks have upped the Druid’s power levels.

If you’re looking for more info about the new rulebook, check out our 2024 Player’s Handbook review. We can also tell you how DnD 2024 backgrounds and DnD 2024 feats have changed – and these will be pretty important for your future Druid builds.

Here’s all you need to know about the DnD 2024 Druid:

Proficiencies and equipment

A DnD Druid can now start play with 50 GP or the following equipment:

• Leather armor
• Shield
• Sickle
• Druidic Focus (quarterstaff)
• Explorer’s Pack
• Herbalism Kit
• 9 GP

Druids are no longer proficient in medium armor, but they have a much broader selection of weapons to choose from. As of 2024, Druids can now wield light crossbows, handaxes, shortbows, and more.

That Herbalism Kit is going to be extra handy. Thanks to the new DnD tools rules, you can use this to craft Healer’s Kits and Potions of Healing. If your party doesn’t have a healing-focused DnD 2024 Cleric, the Druid is a good friend to make.

DnD 2024 Druid spells

Level: One

As before, Druids start out with two DnD cantrips from their spell list. These can now be replaced with other cantrips whenever you gain a Druid level. Your Druid can also replace any leveled spells on a DnD long rest, just like in the 2014 rules.

Here’s the spell slots and prepared spells your Druid has in the 2024 rules:

Spells have changed a lot in the new Player’s Handbook, which means your Druid’s DnD character build will look quite different. Here’s the biggest changes to the 2024 Druid spells:

Cantrips

• Elementalism – A new cantrip with a 30-foot range and a casting time of an action. It allows you to create a strong breeze, a shroud of sand, a cloud of colorful smoke, a spray of cool mist or a cup of water, or a small sculpture from the elements.
• Guidance – When you cast Guidance, you must now name a DnD skill. For up to one minute, your target creature can add 1d4 to any ability check using said skill (rather than just one).
• Message – Added to the Druid spell list, but it’s now blocked by one foot of wood rather than three.
• Poison Spray – Now a necromancy cantrip with a range of 30 feet, Poison Spray is a ranged spell attack rather than a saving throw roll for your foe. It still deals 1d12 poison damage, and its damage still increases as you level.
• Produce Flame – Now a bonus action, and its light has a radius of 20 feet (plus 20 feet of dim light).
• Resistance – No longer requires a material component. The spell now asks you to choose one DnD damage type (acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, piercing, poison, radiant, slashing, or thunder), and when your target creature takes damage of that type, it’s reduced by 1d4.
• Shillelagh – Deals force damage instead of magical damage, and the damage die gets bigger at levels five (d10), 11 (d12), and 17 (2d6).
  Spare the Dying – Can affect undead and constructs, and its range increases at levels five (30 feet), 11 (60 feet), and 17 (120 feet).
• Starry Wisp – A new evocation cantrip with a casting time of an action and a range of 60 feet. You make a ranged spell attack against a target as you throw a ball of light at them, which deals 1d8 radiant damage on a hit. If you hit, the target emits dim light in a 10-foot radius and can’t become invisible. The damage increases by 1d8 at levels five, 11, and 17.

Level one

• Cure Wounds – An abjuration spell now, and it offers 2d8 of healing rather than 1d8.
• Entangle – Reworded so you can’t become tangled in your own plants. Also an Athletics check to escape rather than Strength.
• Healing Word – An abjuration spell now, and it offers 2d4 of healing rather than 1d4.
• Jump – Now a bonus action, and it can be upcast to target additional creatures.

Level two

• Aid – Now on the Druid spell list, but otherwise unchanged.
• Animal Messenger – Your chosen animal only delivers your message if it fails a Charisma saving throw.
• Barkskin – Now a bonus action, doesn’t require concentration, and gives you an AC of 17 rather than 16.
• Beast sense – You’re no longer blinded or deafened to your own surroundings while using this spell.
• Darkvision – Gives 150 feet of Darkvision rather than 60.
• Enhance Ability – Other than the advantage on ability checks for a given stat, this spell gives no other benefits.
• Enlarge/Reduce – Now on the Druid spell list, and has the additional ruling: “a thrown weapon or piece of ammunition returns to normal size immediately after it hits or misses a target”.
• Flame Blade – Your ability score modifier is now added to the damage.
• Gust of Wind – Targets in the line of wind must repeat the Strength saving throw it prompts at the end of their turn, too.
• Heat Metal – You can only take a bonus action to deal extra damage if the object you targeted is still in range.
• Hold Person – When targeting multiple creatures, they don’t have to be within 30 feet of each other (just in range of you).
• Lesser Restoration – Now a bonus action.
• Moonbeam – Shapechangers no longer have disadvantage on their save, and creatures take damage if they end their turn in the beam rather than when they start their turn.

Level three

• Aura of Vitality – Now an abjuration spell, and its healing is a free action when you cast the spell and at the start of each turn while it lasts (rather than a bonus action).
• Conjure Animals – Now lasts ten minutes and has completely new rules. This spell now conjures a Large pack of spectral animals that give you advantage on Strength saving throws while you’re within five feet. You can move the pack whenever you move on your turn, and when it moves within 10 feet of a creature you can see, they must make a Dexterity save or take 3d10 slashing damage. The damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot level above three.
• Meld into Stone – Deals force damage rather than bludgeoning if you’re expelled.
• Sleet Storm – Now 40-foot tall with a 20-foot radius (rather than vice versa), and affected targets make a single Dexterity saving throw to avoid losing concentration and falling prone.
• Summon Fey – Your Fey Spirit’s weapon attack now deals 2d6 + 3 + the spell level’s force damage (no more piercing damage).
• Water Walk – Now requires a bonus action to pass from a liquid’s surface into the liquid.
• Wind Wall – Deals 4d8 bludgeoning damage rather than 3d8.

Level four

• Blight – Can affect undead and constructs. Plant creatures automatically fail their save, but they no longer take maximum damage.
• Charm Monster – When targeting multiple creatures, they don’t have to be within 30 feet of each other.
• Confusion – Affected creatures can’t take reactions or bonus actions.
• Conjure Minor Elementals – Now lasts ten minutes and has new rules. You now conjure elemental spirits that take the form of a 15-foot emanation that surrounds you. Until the spell ends, you deal 2d8 extra damage (acid, cold, fire, or lightning) when you hit a target. The emanation is also difficult terrain for enemies.
• Conjure Woodland beings – Now lasts ten minutes and has new rules. The spell now summons nature spirits that fly around you in a ten-foot emanation. When a creature you can see enters that emanation, it must make a Wisdom save or take 5d8 force damage. The spirits also let you disengage as a bonus action while the spell is active, and you can upcast the spell to deal extra damage.
• Divination – Instead of a random reading, there’s a chance the spell will get you no answer.
• Fount of Moonlight – A new spell which costs an action and has a range of Self. For up to ten minutes (with concentration), you emit bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for a further 20-foot radius. This gives you resistance to radiant damage, and your melee attacks deal 2d6 extra damage. If you take damage from a creature you can see within 60 feet, you can force them to make a Constitution saving throw as a reaction, blinding them on a failure.
• Freedom of Movement – Can be upcast to target additional creatures.
• Giant Insect – Now a conjuration spell with a range of 60 feet, and it summons a single giant insect with its own stat block. The spell can be upcast to improve features in the stat block.
• Grasping Vine – Now has a range of 60 feet. The vine makes a melee spell attack, dealing 4d8 bludgeoning and pulling a creature 30 feet closer to the vine on a hit. Targets that are Huge or smaller are also grappled, and you can upcast the spell to grapple more than one creature at a time.
• Ice Storm – Deals 2d10 bludgeoning damage rather than 2d8.
• Polymorph – Transformed creatures retain their alignment, personality, creature type, hit points, and hit point dice. They gain temporary hit points equal to the HP of the beast they were transformed into, and the spell ends early when there are no temporary hit points left.
• Stoneskin – Transmutation rather than abjuration, and the spell no longer specifies that the bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage you’re resistant to is ‘non-magical’.
• Summon Elemental – Your summon is no longer immune to being unconscious.

Level five

• Conjure Elemental – Has a casting time of one action instead of one minute, but its range is 60 feet rather than 90 feet. No longer needs a material component, and it lasts ten minutes rather than an hour. You now conjure an intangible spirit that forces creatures that enter or start their turn within five feet to make a Dexterity saving throw or take 8d8 damage (of the elemental creature’s type – lightning, thunder, fire, or cold) and become restrained. They repeat the save on later turns, taking 4d8 damage on a fail or escaping the restrain on a success. The damage can be increased by 2d8 for every spell slot level above five.
• Contagion – Targets now make a Constitution save in place of the spell’s attack roll, taking 11d8 necrotic damage and gaining the poisoned condition on a failure. You choose one ability when you cast the spell, and the poisoned target has disadvantage on that stat’s saving throws.
• Mass Cure Wounds – Now an abjuration spell that gives 5d8 of healing rather than 3d8.

Level six

• Conjure Fey – Now costs an action to cast, has a range of 60 feet, and lasts for ten minutes with concentration. You conjure a Medium Feywild spirit that immediately lets you make a melee spell attack against a creature within five feet of the spirit, dealing 3d12 + your spellcasting modifier as psychic damage on a hit and giving the target the frightened condition until the start of your next turn. You can teleport the spirit as a bonus action on later turns and repeat the attack, and the spell’s damage increases by 2d12 for each spell slot above level six.
• Flesh to Stone – Now on the Druid spell list, and a creature that saves against the spell has their speed reduced to zero.
• Heal – Abjuration rather than conjuration, and it affects constructs and the undead.
• Heroes’ Feast – No longer lets you make Wisdom saves with advantage.
• Wind Walk – Makes you immune to being prone, and returning to your original form gives you the Stunned condition rather than Incapacitated.

Level seven

• Plane Shift – Can no longer be used to banish creatures.
• Symbol – Now on the Druid spell list, and the glyph it creates can be spotted with a Perception rather than Investigation check. The ‘hopelessness’ option has been removed, and the ‘discord’ option now requires targets to make a Wisdom save.

Level eight

• Animal Shapes – No longer requires concentration, and transformed creatures retain their alignment, hit points, hit dice, ability to communicate, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Transformed creatures gain temporary HP equal to the HP of the beast they transform into, and the spell ends when they have no temporary HP or choose to leave the form as a bonus action.
• Antipathy/Sympathy – Sympathy gives creatures the charmed condition as well as its usual effects. A creature that ends its turn over 120 feet away from the source of the spell’s effects can make a Wisdom saving throw to end these effects.
• Befuddlement – A new spell that costs an action, has a range of 150 feet, and is Instantaneous. You blast a creature you can see and force them to make an Intelligence save, taking 10d12 psychic damage on a failed save (and half on a success). Failing also means they can’t cast spells or take Magic actions, and they must repeat the save at the end of every 30 days, ending the effect on a success. The effect can also be negated by Greater Restoration, Heal, or Wish.
• Earthquake – Now a transmutation spell that forces creatures in the area to make a Dexterity saving throw, falling prone and losing concentration on a failure. You (rather than the GM) get to choose to create 1d6 fissures (you choose where to place them) or deal 50 bludgeoning damage to a structure in contact with the ground. If the structure collapses, nearby creatures must make a Dexterity save or take 12d6 bludgeoning damage, become prone, and be buried in the rubble.
• Incendiary Cloud – Now on the Druid spell list.
• Tsunami – Range is one mile rather than sight.

Level nine

• Foresight – No longer interacts with surprise rules.
• Shapechange – Transformed creatures gain temporary HP equal to the hit points of the form they transformed into, and the spell ends if none are left. Transformed creatures can still communicate, and they retain their alignment, personality, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, hit points, hit points dice, proficiency, and spellcasting feature.
• Storm of Vengeance – Range of one mile rather than sight, and has a radius of 300 feet rather than 360. Creatures that fail their saving throw are only deafened for one minute rather than five, but the acid damage they take on the second turn of the cloud is increased to 4d6.

Druidic

Level: One

As well as knowing the Druidic language, you always have Speak with Animals prepared. Others can spot your Druidic messages with a DC 15 Intelligence check, but they can’t be understood without magic.

Primal Order

Level: One

Since you now choose your subclass at level three, you have a different level-two decision to make for your Druid. Choose one of the following:

• Magician – You know an extra Druid cantrip, and you gain a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier when you make Arcana or Nature checks.
• Warden – You gain proficiency with martial weapons and medium armor.

While Druids are firmly in the squishy spellcaster club, don’t be too tempted by the Warden option. Shillelagh means you’re unlikely to trade your quarterstaff for a martial weapon. Additionally, you can make up for your low AC with DnD races or spells instead.

Wild Shape

Level: Two

The 2014 DnD Wild Shape rules have changed significantly. You can now Wild Shape as a bonus action, and you can only choose from a limited list of ‘known forms’. At first, you know four forms, which can be any Beast stat block with a maximum challenge rating of 1/4 and no fly speed. You can swap one of your known forms during a long rest.

Your known forms expand as you level up:

You stay in your new body for a number of hours equal to half your Druid level – unless you Wild Shape again, become incapacitated, die, or end the form early as a bonus action.

Druids can generally Wild Shape more often in the 2024 rules. At level two, you have two Wild Shape uses, and this increases to three at level six, and four at level 17. When you take a short rest, you regain one spent use of Wild Shape, and you regain all spent uses on a long rest.

While in Wild Shape, you can still speak, and you keep your creature type, hit points, hit point dice, class features, languages, feats, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You keep your skill and saving throw proficiencies too, but you can choose to use those of the Beast if they’re higher than yours, and you gain any other proficiencies the Beast has. Everything else is replaced by the Beast’s stat block. Shapeshifting won’t break your concentration, but you can’t cast any new spells.

Retaining your HP is one of the biggest changes made to the Wild Shape rules. Instead of taking on the HP of your beast form, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Druid level while in Wild Shape. Considering that the 2014 Wild Shape lets you transform into creatures with a single hit point, this feels pretty darn good.

The option to still speak in Wild Shape is a small change, but one with huge amounts of utility. It saves Druids hopping in and out of Wild Shape during exploration and stealth missions. Combine this with a much more generous amount of Wild Shape uses per long rest, and you’ve got a Druid that actually encourages you to use Wild Shape.

The 2024 Player’s Handbook recommends the following beast forms for beginners:

• Rat – Has 20ft climb speed and doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, though we wouldn’t recommend turning into a rat mid-combat.
• Riding Horse – Your hooves do reasonable damage, and you can serve as a mount.
• Spider – Spider Climb and tiny size makes this the perfect Wild Shape for stealth.
• Wolf – Pack Tactics and the bite attack make this a suitable combat option.

Wild Companion

Level: Two

This is the same as the optional feature from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. It lets you spend a use of Wild Shape and a magic action to cast Find Familiar without material components. You summon a fey creature that disappears after your next long rest.

Druid subclass

Level: Three

The 2024 Player’s Handbook features four DnD Druid subclasses:

Circle of the Land

DnD 2024 Land Druids gain the following abilities:

Circle of the Land spells

Any time you take a long rest, you choose one of four spell lists. Until your next long rest, you always have the spells in that list prepared.

Land Druids have fewer spell list options to choose from in the 2024 rules, and those that remain have been reworked. However, they can now change which land spell list they have access to on a long rest.

Arid land

Polar Land

Temperate Land

Tropical Land

Land’s Aid

The new level-three Land’s Aid feature lets you spend an action and a Wild Shape use to choose a point within 60 feet. Flowers and thorns grow in a 10-foot-radius sphere, and each creature of your choice inside it must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failure or half as much on a success. One creature in that same sphere can also regain 2d6 hit points. The damage and healing both increase by 1d6 at level 10 and 14.

Natural Recovery

At level six and once per long rest, Natural Recovery lets you cast a level-one or higher spell from your chosen Circle spell list without using a spell slot. When you finish a short rest, you can recover spell slots with a combined level equal to or less than half your Druid level (rounded up). This too can only be done once per long rest.

Nature’s Ward

The level-ten feature Nature’s Ward now makes you immune to being poisoned, and you’re resistant to a damage type associated with your current land choice from circle spells:

Nature’s Sanctuary

Finally, at level 14, Nature’s Sanctuary lets you spend an action and a Wild Shape use to summon spectral plants in a 15-foot cube within 120 feet. They give you and allies in this area half cover, and everyone in that range benefits from the resistance you get from Nature’s Ward. The cube can be moved 60 feet as a bonus action, and it ends early if you become incapacitated or die.

Circle of the Moon

The DnD 2024 Moon Druid has these abilities:

Circle of the Moon spells

Moon Druids no longer have their Combat Wild Shape feature, but they do have a spell list that is always prepared:

Circle Forms

Their level-three Circle forms can have a max CR equal to your Druid levels divided by three, and your armor class in Beast form is 13 plus your Wisdom modifier (unless the Beast’s AC is higher). You also gain temporary HP equal to three times your Druid level when you transform.

Improved Circle Forms

At level six, your Wild Shape form can choose to deal radiant damage instead of normal damage, and you can add your Wisdom modifier to Constitution saves.

Moonlight Step

At level ten, you can teleport as a bonus action up to 30 feet, and you have advantage on the next attack roll you make before the end of that turn. This can be done a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier before you need a long rest, but you can also spend spell slots of level two or above to regain a use.

Lunar Form

Finally, Lunar Form lets you deal an extra 2d10 radiant damage once per turn when you hit with a Wild Shape form’s attack. You can also now teleport another willing creature with Moonlight Step.

Circle of the Sea

This is an entirely new subclass, so we’ve put together a dedicated DnD 2024 Circle of the Sea Druid guide

– head there for more info on building a character. Otherwise, here’s a summary of the Sea Druid’s subclass features:

Circle of the Sea spells

These spells are always prepared for a Sea Druid:

Wrath of the Sea

At level three, you can spend a bonus action and one use of your Wild Shape to create a five-foot emanation of ocean spray that surrounds you. It lasts for 10 minutes or until you dismiss it (no action needed), use this ability again, or become incapacitated.

When you first create the emanation and as a bonus action on future turns, you can choose a creature you can see inside the emanation to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. If they fail, they take cold damage, which you calculate by rolling d6s equal to your Wisdom modifier. If the creature is Large or smaller, it also gets pushed up to 15 away from you on a failed save.

Aquatic Affinity

At level six, your Wrath of the Sea emanation is now 10 feet rather than five. You also gain a swim speed equal to your speed.

Stormborn

The level-10 Stormborn feature gives you a fly speed equal to your speed, plus resistance to cold, lightning, and thunder damage. These benefits are only applied while Wrath of the Sea is active.

Oceanic Gift

The level-14 capstone lets you create your Wrath of the Sea emanation surrounding another willing creature instead of yourself. They gain all its benefits, but they use your spell save DC and Wisdom modifier where the rules call for these. Alternatively, you can spend two uses of Wild Shape instead of one to give the emanation to yourself and another target.

Circle of the Stars

The Circle of Stars Druid works just as it does in the 2014 rules:

Star Map

At level three, you gain a star chart as a spellcasting focus. It means you always have Guidance and Guiding Bolt prepared, the latter of which you can cast without a spell slot a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest.

Starry Form

Also at level three, Starry Form gives you an alternative way to use your Wild Shape. Spend a bonus action and a Wild Shape, and you shed bright light and dim light in a 20-foot radius. You choose one of the following forms when you use Starry Form:

• Archer – When activated and as a bonus action on future turns, you make a ranged spell attack that deals 1d8 plus your Wisdom modifier in radiant damage on a hit.
• Chalice – When you cast a spell with a spell slot that restores HP to a creature, you or another target within 30 feet gains HP equaling 1d8 plus your Wisdom modifier.
• Dragon – When you make Intelligence and Wisdom checks or concentration saves, you treat any roll below a 10 as a 10.

Cosmic Omen

During a long rest, you roll a die. This lets you use one of two reactions during the next day, depending on what you rolled. If the roll was even, you can spend a reaction to add 1d6 to a D20 roll made by a creature you see within 30 feet. If the original roll was odd, you can spend a reaction to subtract 1d6 from a D20 roll about to be made by a creature you see within 30 feet.

The reaction can be used a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier before you need to restore its uses with a long rest.

Twinkling Constellations

At level 10, your Archer and Chalice Starry Forms deal or heal 2d8 rather than 1d8. The Dragon form also gives you a fly speed of 20 feet, and you can change which Starry Form you have active on each of your turns.

Full of Stars

Finally, at level 14, you become resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while using Starry Form.

Ability Score Improvement

Level: Four, Eight, 12, 16

As before, you gain one of the following:

• +1 to two DnD stats
• +2 to one stat
• A DnD 2024 feat (see our guide for options)

Wild Resurgence

Level: Five

On each turn, if you have no Wild Shape uses left, you can spend a spell slot to regain one (no action required). Once per long rest, you can also spend a Wild Shape use (no action required) to regain a level-one spell slot.

Elemental Fury

Level: Seven

Choose one of the following:

• Potent Spellcasting – Add your Wisdom modifier to damage dealt by your Druid cantrips.
• Primal Strike – Each turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon or Beast form attack, you can deal an extra 1d8 cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage.

Both are great options, depending on your build. Moon Druids who fight in Wild Shape or anyone who plans to spam Shilellagh should stick to Primal Strike. Otherwise, you’ll probably get maximum value out of Potent Spellcasting.

Improved Elemental Fury

Level: 15

Choose one of the following ways to improve your Elemental Fury feature:

• Potent Spellcasting – Druid cantrips with a range of 10 feet or greater now have a range of 300 feet.
• Primal Strike – Your Primal Strike damage increases to 2d8.

Again, Potent Spellcasting feels like the clear winner here.

Beast Spells

Level: 18

You can now cast spells in Wild Shape form – except for those with a costly material component or that consumes its material component.

Epic Boon

Level: 19

Like all classes, the Druid gets an Epic Boon feat. See our DnD 2024 feats guide for options to choose from.

Archdruid

Level: 20

When you roll Initiative and have no Wild Shape uses left, you automatically regain one use. Additionally, for every ten years that pass, your body only ages one year.

You can now turn Wild Shape uses into spell slots. Each use of your Wild Shape ability equals two spell levels, which must be used to create a single spell slot. For example, if you want to create a level-six spell slot, you must spend three uses of your Wild Shape ability.

For even more rules changes from the Player’s Handbook, check out what we know about DnD weapon mastery and DnD tools.